Very general, broad question...provide more info about you and what you enjoy and you will get better info ....

In France, Paris ( Notre Dame, Ste Chapelle, Opera Garnier, Versailles), Reims, Giverny, Chartres

How long will you be there! What do you enjoy seeing?

Thanks denisea! You're right. Um, I'm planning to stay for 10 days in those countries. I want to kind of see a mixture of both very touristy and also local places that are less crowded. My mom and I are prepared to walk around a lot so energy won't be a problem. haha

Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland, great walks, magnificent scenery.

There is no way you can see 3 countries in 10 days. You - if yuo are willing to move quickly and see only a few major sights - see one city in each of the 3 countries.

It would help to know the age of you an dyour mom, intrests (museums, churches, architecture, scenery, fine dining, shopping, iconic sights, clog dancing, flower arranging?????)

Also a budget would helo (the more you move around the more it will cost). And since it is already June it's very late to start planning now - many of the best air fares may be gone along with the best hotel deals. Also, Swtiz is probably the most expensive country in europe - so you can plan on things costing at least twice what they do at home - perhaps more.

Have you even looked at airfares from your location into Paris and out of Zurich (open jaw tickets cost no more and save a day returning to your starting point.)

Hi everyone! Thanks for your concern!

My mom and I are hoping for mostly iconic sights, architecture, scenery and shopping

I've already bought our plane tickets so phew! But we're looking to spend as little as possible (on a very tight budget). Do you then recommend that we focus on just two countries?

Also, do you think Eurail is the best mode of travel in France and Germany?

Thanks so much for all your help, guys!

Hi Ji,

>I'm planning to stay for 10 days in those countries.<

You have one country too many. If you wish to do all 3 you will lose at least 2 days just traveling from one hotel to another.

Pick 2 countries.

Then go to "Destinations" and decide which 2 places in each country you would want to visit.

Better yet, pick one country.

Happy planning

>I've already bought our plane tickets...<

Mind telling us where you will be landing and from whence you will depart?

If you are landing somewhere like Mulhouse (basically) where Germany/Switzerland/France meet then this is going to be an easy holiday. However that is unlikely so we need to know

1) where you are flying into (and out of if different)
2) which month you coming (to advise on weather and happenings)

There are some great places to visit around Mulhouse, Freiburg, Basel, Strasbourg

Look here for starters:

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list

I suggest you book tours at this point. It is too much for 10 days even to see "iconic" things.
As others have asked where are you arriving.
You must realize that moving in and out of hotels and getting to places is time consuming, removing the equivalent of days from your total time. I see Ira has already told you that.
Do yourself and mom a favor. Go to two places and enjoy them. If by any remote chance you have an open jaw flight plan, that "might" work.

We couldn't possibly be of help unless you mention take ira's advice.
"Mind telling us where you will be landing and from whence you will depart?"

3 countries (even just for highlights) is too much for a 10 day trip.

You could do Paris, some of the French countryside, then take the train to Lausanne and see the Lac Leman area of Switzerland (outside Geneva). But that's only one of a million possible suggestions.

Where did you buy your plane tickets in/out of?

I suggest you get a guidebook. I never travel without consulting one or two guidebooks.

I agree that 3 countries in 10 days is too much.

As to the best mode of travel, you need to compare the cost of point to point tickets with the cost of eurail passes. I usually buy point to point tickets, because that's often the cheapest for my travels.

You can't even begin to cover "iconic" sights in 3 countries in 10 days. You can't do that even in one country.

A Eurrail pass is likely to be your worst option, especially if you get sensible and pare this trip down to one country, with a week's stay in a major city and a 3-day jaunt out to the countryside. For example, a week in Paris with 3 days in the Loire or Normandy.

If you're on a serious budget, drop Switzerland immediately. Everything there costs a small fortune.

Take Eurail out of your thinking altogether as has been said.
What is your budget per day or total?
How did you get so certain about airline tickets and price with so little "knowledge" about these things you are asking?

Jilove, you need to know that here at Fodors, the slower you move and the fewer things you see, the more sophisticated you are. Explore, savour, experience. Those are the key words here.

The OP did say that she was on a budget. If you want to save money it's best to stay in a place for a few nights and get a discount. Moving around too much is going to rack up the euros.

Agree that you need to tell us:

1) where you are flying into and out of
2) what your actual dates are (some people say 10 days but count the day they arive and the day they leave - which would mean you really have 8 days on the ground)
3) identify 2 or 3 things that you MUST see - as in Eiffel Tower, Neuschwanstein Castel or the Jungfrau

Then we might be able to be some help.

And agree if your budget is limited to avoid Switz - since costs are typricall twice what they are in the US (for instance - a MickeyD meal that is $8 here is about $17 there).

You may wish to look at my Swiss Rail trip report under the Switerland tag. A stop in Luzern is highly recommended.

I'm flying into Germany early morning in late June. My mom and I decided we want to see Heidelberg and the Romantic Road and take out Berlin. Is that a bad idea?

Then, we'd like to visit Paris and Marseilles for 4-5 days. We'll be flying back to the UK after those 5 days. How should I go about moving from Paris to Marseilles? Do you recommend some other place we see after Paris that's closer to the UK? I would like to see nice scenery (preferably the beach) with my mom for a few days.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Forget Marseilles. The only reason a first-timer to France should go there is if Dear Aunt Wilma lives there and has mentioned you in her will. You need all 4-5 days for Paris. If you want to scramble over to Normandy for a night or two to see the ocean, you could do that (at the expense of Paris) - and even go back to the UK by boat.

You've added the Romantic Road and swapped Nice for Marseilles?

How are you going to fit in the Romantic Road?

I think you should stick to one thread rather than having two threads going at the same time with two different itineraries.

Thanks, Adrienne. I didn't think people would read this post again so I posted up a new question.

How about seeing just Heidelberg and Frankfurt in Germany then Paris and Nice?
From what people say, it sounds impossible... I realize there's a lot to see in Paris but I don't know when my mom and I will be back in Europe again.

You appear to be just throwing darts at a dart board at this point. No, I wouldn't pick Heidelberg and Frankfurt for a first trip to Germany, though I'm sure you'd enjoy them once there. Nor would I divide 4-5 days up between Paris and Nice, which are at opposite ends of the country - you'll lose an entire day, basically, getting between them, and you're already short on time.

Why not spend an afternoon in a library or bookstore and read up on all these scattered places you keep tossing out - and look at MAPS??

>>I don't know when my mom and I will be back in Europe again.<<

If you try to see all those 4 places in 10 days, your mom might not want to return to Europe. When my wife & I first went to Europe in '77, we took my mom. We had an 'active" itinerary. My mom "bailed out" half way through the trip & flew home (my sister was a flight attendant - free fares for mom). She was exhausted.

What's so special about Frankfurt (compared to Paris)? On our first trip to Europe in '77, we stopped in Heidelberg, looked around, didn't see much that interesting, and headed on.

My wife & I retired early so we could travel more. Since '99 we have spent 2 months each year vacationing in Europe - mainly France & Italy, but some England, Belgium, & Eastern Europe. We've spent weeks in Germany on pre-'99 trips.

If I were to take mom on a "see Europe" trip that included Paris, I would only visit 1 other "place" besides Paris. I would land at CDG, take the 3 1/4 hr TGV to Avignon, rent a car, spend 5 nights in Provence, then take the TGV back to Paris & spend 5 nights there. Even 5 night in Paris & Provence is short-changing them.

Less is more !!!! Spend you limited time "being there" not "getting there".

Stu Dudley

When we don't have much time we use "ho on-hop off" tours. They usually sell tickets for two days to use. So two days will cover major landmarks and you can pick places you like to "hop off" spend some time there and "hop on" back to continue. They usually work until 6:30 pm so you could have relaxing evening to have dinner, walk, visit a concert, perhaps in the park for free...
We had an afternoon in London between two planes and did just that. We saw the most famous places and we happy with it.
Using maps is not that easy unless you are super with it. Takes too much time.
In any case, enjoy your trip.